Apparatus for transferring track-traversing vehicles from one set of rails to another.



I. CORNELIUS & G. SOHAT'TE. APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING'TRAGK TRAVERSINGVEHICLES 'PROM ONE-SET 0P RAILS TO ANOTHER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1909.

THE NORRIS PETERS cm, wasumnmu, n. c.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND CORNELIUS AND GUSTAV SCI-IAT'IE, OF MAGDEBURG, GERMANY,ASSIGN-' ORS 'IO FRIED. KRUPP AKTIENGESELLSCI-IAFT GRUSONWERK, OFMAGDEBURG- BUOKAU, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING 'IRACK-TRAVERSING VEHICLES FROM ONE SET OFRAILS TO ANOTHER.

,the King of Prussia, and residents of Magdeburg, Kingdom of Prussia,Empire of Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Transferring Track-Traversing Vehicles from One Set ofRails to Another, of which the following is a s ecification.

is invention relates to apparatus for transferring traveling cranes,loading frames, traverse tables and other vehicles from one set of railsto another which may be running parallel therewith or at at any anglethereto. For effecting this purpose, it has been customary to employ alarge turn-table to receive the entire vehicle and tur g) the r aseparate turn-table has been provided for each intersection of therails.

The present invention dispenses with the necessity of employing theaforesaid costly turntables and enables the vehicles to be transferrednot only onto permanent rails but also onto temporary rails.

According to this invention, each of the vehicle wheels or each group ofwheels is arranged to swivel about a vertical axis and 30 between thewheels or groups of wheels on each side of the vehicle or beneath eachgroup of wheels, provision is made for a lifting appliance which may beeither per- "manently or detachably secured to the vehicle and by meansof which the latter can be lifted first on one side and then on theother to such an extent as to permit of each wheel or group of wheelsbeing turned into alinement with the particular set of rails onto whichit is desired that the vehicle should be transferred. In case of veryheavy vehicles each group of wheels can be lifted and adapted to berotated separately.

The invention further consists in so arranging the track that the rangeof movements that can be effected by the vehicle are increased and anumber of work places situated between several sets of rails can all beserved by one vehicle.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 8, 1909.

Patented Jan. 1'7, 1911.

Serial No. 526,925.-

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, the same will be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevationof a trestle crane embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a similarview showing the crane supported by wheels arranged in groups. Figs. 3and 4 are enlarged views partly in section showing the lifting mechanismapplied to a group of wheels. Figs. 5 to 8 are various diagrammaticviews showing different ar rangements of lines of rails for use inconnection with vehicles embodying the present invention.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 the trestle crane is provided withfour wheels 1 each of which is'arranged to swivel about a vertical axis2. Interposed between the two wheels on each side of the vehicle is thelifting appliance 3 which may be in the form of an ordinary screw jackas shown in the drawings and be either permanently connccted to thevehicle, or be capable of being fitted thereto when required.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the trestle crane is supported uponfour bogies or carriages 2* each of which is capable of swiveling abouta vertical axis 2 and carries two wheels 1. In this arrangement thelifting appliance 3 may be mounted directly underneath the vertical axisof each group of wheels as shown in Figs. 3 and 4: or between any twogroups of wheels. When the lifting appliances are likely to befrequently required at predetermined points along the rails, suitablefoundations 4 are advantageously provided at such points.

In Fig. 5, 6 indicates two sets of rails intersecting' at right anglesand in order to transfer the vehicle from one set of rails to the other,it is moved along the rails 5 in the direction indicated by the arrowuntil the vertical axes of the four groups of wheels come immediatelyover the points of intersection of the two sets of rails. In thisposition the lifting appliance at one side of the vehicle is actuated toraise that side i of intersection of the two sets of rails.

7 ment with the rails in the manner above dean angle of 180.

in relation to the point 11. The wheels on the opposite side of thevehicle are now lowto enable the two groups of wheels to be turned intoalinement with the rails 6 whereupon the wheels are lowered intoengagement with such rails and the operation above described is thenrepeated with respect to the other side of the vehicle, whereupon thevehicle is capable of being moved along the rails 6 in the direction ofthe arrow.

Fig. 6 shows two sets of rails intersecting each other obliquely. Inthis arrangement one set of rails is provided with as many rails asthere are vertical axes of the various wheels or groups of wheels, thesaid rails being so spaced as to come immediately under the verticalaxes of the wheels when the vehicle is brought directly over the pointsIn this position each side of the vehicle is alternately raised andlowered by the lifting appliance, the wheels being turned intoalinescribed.

It will be observed that in each of the aforesaid arrangements theposition of the body of the vehicle remains unchanged, only the wheelsbeing swiveled.

Fig. 7 shows a set of rails arranged closely around the corner of abuilding 7 the two inner rails intersecting each other at rightangles.In this arrangement, if the lifting appliance is applied midway betweenthe two wheels nearest to the building at the point of intersection ofthe rails, so as to raise the wheels clear of the latter, it constitutesa pivot for the vehicle to turn upon and enables the wheels at theopposite side thereof to travel around the bend of the outer rail. TheWheels nearest to the building are then brought into alinement with oneor the other of the intersecting rails, whereupon that side of thevehicle is lowered to bripg the wheels into engagement with the rai Fig.8 shows two sets of rails so arranged as to enable a vehicle to beturned through This is effected by employing three rails I, I, and II,of which the rails I, I are curved at 9 and 8 respectively, with aradius equal to the gage of the track, to intersect the rail II at thepoints 11 and 10, the distance between such points being equal to theaforesaid radius. By this arrangement the vehicle can be traversed inthe direction indicated by the arrow until the point 10 occupies a midposition between the wheels on that side of the vehicle, and uponapplying the lifting appliance at this point the vehicle can be swiveledaround the bend 9 of the rail I until the wheels on that side of thevehicle occupy a mid position ered into engagement with the rail I andupon applying the lifting appliance at the the vehicle can be traversedover the bend 8 of the rail I with the result that the vehicle will haveturned through an angle of 180. It will be obvious that this angle canbe increased provided that the centers of the By arranging the rails asshown by the dotted lines in Fig. 8 it will be seen that a work stationcan be arranged between each.

ratus serving for the transportation of the crane.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus fortransferring track traversing vehicles from one set of rails to another,the combination with a vehicle frame, of a series of wheels havingswivelconnection about a vertical axis, with two sides of the frame, andlifting means, car ried by said frame adjacent to each of the wheelswhereby the wheels on each side of the frame may be raised fromengagement with the track and swiveled or turned in any desireddirection to engage another set of rails.

2. In an apparatus for transferring track traversing vehicles from oneset of rails to another, the combination with a frame, a plurality ofwheels swivelly connected to two sides of said frame, a plurality oflifts ing means operable relative to said frame, whereby the wheels oneither side of said frame may be raised from engagement with one set ofrails and turned or adjusted so as to engage another set of railsextending in a different direction relative to the first set of rails.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with aplurality of sets of intersecting rails, of a vehicle comprising aseries of wheels having swiveled connection with two sides of saidvehicle, and engaging one set of rails, and lifting .jacks operablerelative to said vehicle, whereby the wheels of the vehicle may beraised from engagement with the said set of rails and turned, so as toengage with a set of rails intersecting the first named set of rails.

4. The combination with a vehicle, of a series of wheels swivellysecured thereto and lifting jacks carried by said vehicle, whereby thewheels may be raised from their traction surface and turned in anydesired direction.

point 11 the wheels on the opposite side of 5. The combination with avehicle, of atwo curved rails I, I* are maintained at an; interval apartequal to the gage of the track.

series of wheel carriages secured thereto, a The foregoing specificationsigned at plurality of wheels having swiveled connec Magdeburg, Germany,thls 28rd day of Oc- 10 tion with each carriage, and a lifting jacktober, 1909.

carried by said carriage and positioned in- FERDINAND CORNELIUS.termediate the wheels thereof, whereby the GUSTAV SCHATTE.

wheels of each may be raised from their In presence of traction surfaceindependent of the wheels WILHELM FLEISOHHAGK,

of the other carriages. J AMES L. A. BURRELL.

